| Methods |
Design: three group parallel trial
Purpose: examine the effect of propranolol on tranquillizer dependence |
| Participants |
Patients: out‐patients who had not succeeded in stopping tranquilliser medication despite attempts
Baseline comparability: yes for diazepam intake |
| Interventions |
Placebo: tablets without propranolol
Untreated: no tablets
Experimental: tablets of propranolol
(Co‐intervention: NS) |
| Outcomes |
Abstinence
50% reduction of medication
Time to abstinence
Pulse rates |
| Notes |
Relevant outcome data not accessible |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Adequate sequence generation? |
Unclear risk |
NS |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
NS |
| Blinding?
Treatment provider |
Low risk |
'Patients were also treated... under double blind conditions' |
| Blinding?
Outcome assessor |
Unclear risk |
NS |
| Incomplete outcome data addressed?
All outcomes |
High risk |
Drop‐out > 15% or NS |
| Free of selective reporting? |
High risk |
Relevant outcome data not accessible |
| Free of other bias? |
Low risk |
|
| Trial size > 49? |
High risk |
N = 18 |
| Clearly concealed allocation + trial size > 49 + drop‐out max 15% |
High risk |
Trial size < 49 |
